Mac sauce (Bechamel)

Directions

Cook the macaroni in salted water until a little shy of al dente; drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; bake walnuts in a single layer until brown and toasty, 5 to 10 minutes (you can also toast them in a hot skillet, stirring constantly, 3 minutes). Cool the nuts and coarsely chop.

Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts bubbling around the edges, but not a full boil; remove from heat.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

When it has just melted, whisk in the flour snd continue to whisk until a light brown, about 3 minutes; remove from heat.

Slowly pour in the milk, while whisking, then return the pot to medium high heat and whisk 2 to 3 minutes.

The sauce should be smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon at this point; add the salt.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cheese until melted, about 3 minutes; slowly stir in the pasta, stirring until heated through.